Table



' TABLE Filed on. 19, 1938 y s sheets-'sheeri ATTORNEYS.

t- 28g 19471- W. E. coRDuAN Erm. r 2,260,934 TABLE Filed oct. 19. 1938 s sheets-sht 2 INV NTORS. WaZZerEC r MKM/Zw 6fm ATTORIWYSv Oct. 28,1941. E. coRDuAN ETAL 2,260,934

Patented Oct. 28, V1941 TABLE .'Walter E, Corduan and Gustav E. Corduan, Chicago, Ill., assgnors to Corduan Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois 'Application October 19, 1938, `Serial No.v `,235,910 claims. (o1. 311-108) This invention has to do with card 'tables of the type in `which a sheet. of thin ybut relatively stiff material, such as the pressed wood product known as Masonite is used to Aforni the Vtop.

'I'here has been a persistent demand in the trade for inexpensive card rtables provided with tops of this type, but heretofore no manufacturer has been able to offer la satisfactory card table with such a top at a low enough price to nd a ready market, owing to the ldifficulties and eX- pense involved in mounting the top. In mounting a top of this :kind it has been the practice, either to cover 'the top sheet with a padding beneath which regular attaching rivets are yconcealed, or countersink th'eedges of the top sheet and overlie the countersunk edges with narrow finishing strips which are in turn' secured in some fashion to the edges of the-frantic, or channel out the vsides of the v trarne and fit the edges of the top sheet into them, securing the sides of the frame together after tting them about the top sheet. 'I hese practices and others of a similar character-have kept the cost of tables of the type under consideration comparatively high.

The purpose of this invention `is'to provide an improved `card table kof the rtype described in which the top sheet is fastened in position in an inexpensive, attractive and entirely satisfactory manner, Y

Other more speciiicv objects and.. advantages Will be `apparent to those skilled in the art upon a full understanding of theimprovedtable structure. invention are presented herein, but it will of course be appreciated that the ,invention issusceptible of incorporation in still .other .structurally modified forms coming equally within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective A View o-f a card tableV provided with atop sheet mounted Vin accordance with'the invention;` n

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of one corner of thetop of the table;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section'through of the table;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one edge of the .one edge table, with various' portions andy parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the -attaching clips;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the same -clip before having the tongue on the bottom thereof Several illustrative Aembodiments of the` bent into engagement with the r.bottom of the ledge on the 4frame of the table;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another card table, showing a somewhat mod-ined Way Yof -attaching the top` sheet in accordancewi-th the in vent-ion;

Fig. `8 is la vertical section=through one edge of the table Ashown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of one of the attaching Vstrips used -with the top sheet shown in Figs. '7 land28; and

Fig. 10 is la fragmentary plan View of one side of a round card table, with vthe round top sheet of the table mounted in accordance with the Vinvention. l

The embodiment 'of the invention shown in Figs. '1 Vtof vinclusi-ve will' first be described. The table is 4provided with a square frame I0, but the invention is equally applicable 4to tablesxhaving polygonal, round, lor oval frames. The sides II of the frame I0 are of pressed sheet metal construction, and may :be of any desired cross section. The legs I2 of the :ta-ble are attached to the inner sides of the corne-rs ofthe trarne I0 by means 'of 'brackets I3. As the legs I2 and the brackets I3 have nothing to do vwith the improvement fwhichyforms the subject matter .of this particular invention, they will `not be `described in detail. f

The inner edges of the sides II of the frame areprovided with downwardly oiiset ledges I4, and these ledges I4, together Withsome diagonallyarranged cross braces I5, form the supporting means for the top proper, which top Iconsists of a plain :sheet I6 of thin but relatively stiff material. The top sheet I6 is preferably made of Masonite in about -a 1%" thickness, but can be made of any Akind of equivalent pressed Wood, bre board, or even good-grade cardboard ofthe same or either greater or less thickness. 'The sheet I6 is cut to t the area defined by the continuous four-sided ledge I4 about the inner edge of the frame, with the corners of the sheet preferably rounded following 'the rounded `corners of the ledge,fand with a little clear-ance preferably left at I'I between the yedges |28 of the sheet and the base I9 of `theledge to allow for some eX- pansion of thesheet.-

At regular intervals along each of the side edges I8 ofthe sheet small sheet metal fastening clips 20 are located.v These clips are .approximately lS-shaped in ycross section and are provided at their upper ends with Vtwo or more horizontally projecting teeth A2I wlf1ieh lare. pressed into the side edges I8 of the sheet I6, preferably just below the center of such edges. From the teeth 2I the clips 20 extend rst downwardly at 22 against the edge I8 of the sheet, then horizontally at 23 back against the lower surface of the sheet on top of the ledge I4, then downwardly again at 24 in slightly spaced relation to the edge of the ledge I4, and then horizontally again at 25 into clinched engagement with the bottom, of the ledge I4, all as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The teeth 2I of the clips penetrate the side edge I8 of the top sheet at points well below the upper surface of the sheet and yet far enough above the lower surface to afford a firm and secure anchorage for the clips and avoid any appreciable `de-lamination of the sheet at the locations of the clips. The upper surface of the sheet I6 is preferably disposed somewhat above the level of the adjoining top portions 26 of the sides of the frame, and the side edges I8 of the sheet are preferably rounded off above the points at which the fastening clips 20 penetrate the same. The upper ends of the clips 2U are preferably located about even with or slightly below the level of the portions 26.

With this improved construction the top sheet I6 will be anchored securely to the ledge I 4 about the inner edge of the frame. Any normal amount of expansion or contraction of the sheet I6 can take place without causing any buckling of the sheet, since the fastening clips 20 will permit some movement of the edges of the sheet toward or away from the raised portions 26 of the sides of the frame. In applying the sheet I6, it will be appreciated that the clips 2U can be pressed into the edges I8 of the sheet and thereafter bent back into interlocking engagement with the bottom of the ledge I4 at but very little expense.

The diagonal cross braces I which assist in supporting the sheet I6 are sheet metal members of preferably upwardly opening U-shaped cross section which are flattened out at their ends and welded to the frame I0. These cross braces I5 may be set slightly below the lower surface of the sheet I6 and may contain rubber supporting members 21, in the form of short cylindrical sections of ordinary rubber tubing, which supporting members are compressed at the time of application of the sheet I6, between the bottoms of the channels in the cross braces I5 and the lower surface of the sheet I3, thereby exerting a small but appreciable upward pressure on the sheet sufficient to eliminate all the ordinarily present top noises.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. '1 to 9 inelusivewhich in some respects is considered an improvement over the above described embodiment-the individual fastening clips are dispensed with and continuous fastening strips 21 are employed along each of the side edges 28 of the top sheet 29. The side edges 28 of the sheet are milled out horizontally throughout substantially their entire lengths to provide fine narrow slots 30, and the fastening strips 21 are made up in the form of small channels. The upper flange 3l of each of the channel strips is inserted in the slot 30, with the bottom 32 of the channel against the lower portion only of the edge 28 of the sheet and with the lower flange 33 against the lower surface 34 of the sheet. At regular intervals the channel strip 21 is provided with downwardly extending tongues 35, which tongues are bent upwardly and outwardly into engagement with the bottom of the ledge 36 on the frame 31 to complete the assembly.

The channel strips 21 are preferably punchpricked at intervals, in the lower fianges 33 thereof, as shown at 38 in Fig. 8, after the strips have been applied to the side edges 2B of the top sheet, and before the top sheet is assembled with the frame, whereby to prevent any outward movement of the strips relative to the side edges of the sheet during and after assembly with the frame.

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 10, the card table is provided with a round frame 39 and a round top sheet 40. In this embodiment the top sheet 40 is secured to the ledge 4I of the frame by means of a fastening strip 42. It may be identical with the fastening strip of the last described embodiment except for the necessary curvature imparted to the strip, the upper iiange of the strip extending into a milled out slot in the edge of the top sheet in exactly the same way. Instead of employing a continuous fastening strip, it will of course be appreciated that individual fastening clips,` like those illustrated in connection with the first described embodiment, might be employed.

The table structures herein illustrated and described have been referred to as card tables, but it will of course be appreciated that the term card table is intended to describe a type of table rather than a table limited to some particular use.

We claim:

1. In a card table, a frame provided about its inner edge with a downwardly offset ledge, a top sheet of thin but relatively stiff non-metallic material positioned on said-ledge with the upper surface of the sheet disposed somewhat above the level of the adjoining portions ofthe frame, said sheet having horizontally extending slots milled into its side edges below its upper surface, and horizontally extending fastening strips positioned against the side edges of the top sheet, said strips being provided with horizontally extending flanges which fit within said slots and down'- wardly extending portions which interlock with said ledge.

2. In a card table, a frame provided about its inner edge with a downwardly offset ledge, a top sheet of thin but relatively stiff non-metallic material positioned on said ledge with the upper surface of the sheet :disposed somewhat above the level of the adjoining portions of the frame, and a plurality of thin sheet metal clips which horizontally penetrate the side edges of the top sheet at points below the upper surface of the latter, extend .downwardly around suchedges over the ledge, and are then bent back against the under surface of the ledge.

3. In a card table, a frame of pressed sheet metal provided about its inner edge with a downwardly offset ledge, a top sheet of thin but relatively stiff non-metallic material positioned on said ledge with 'the upper surface of the sheet disposed somewhat above the level of the adjoining portions of the frame, the side edges of said top sheet being longitudinally slotted about midway between the upper and lower surfaces of the sheet, and a narrow channel strip 'of-thin sheet metal positioned snugly against each ofthe side edges of the sheet about the lower extremities only of the side edges, with the upper flanges of the channel disposed within the slot in the side edge of the sheet and with the lower flange of the channel disposed against the lower surface of the sheet on top of the flange, said channel strip being provided at intervals with tongues which are bent back under the ledge into vertically interlocking engagement with the latter.

4. In a card table, a round frame of pressed sheet metal provided about its inner edge with a downwardly offset ledge, a round top sheet of thin but relatively stili non-metallic material positioned on said ledge with the upper surface of the sheet dispos-ed somewhat above the level of the surrounding portion of the frame, and a narrow strip of thin sheet metal encircling the side edge of the sheet and positioned snugly against the same about the lower extremity only of the side edge; said strip being provided at its -upper edge with portions which extend into the side edge of the sheet below the upper surface 15 of the sheet and being provided at its lower edge with portions which interlock with the ledge on the frame.

5. In a card table, a frame provi-ded about its inner edge with a downwardly offset ledge, a top sheet of thin but relatively stiiT non-metallic material positioned on said ledge with the upper surface of the sheet disposed somewhat above the level of the adjoining portions of the frame, and thin sheet metal members which horizontally penetrate the side edges of the top sheet between the top and bottom thereof and below the top of the frame and are secured to the frame.

WALTER E. CORDUAN. GUSTAV E. CORDUAN. 

